


5 Words That Describe Neil Josten

by Zuixen



Series: AftG [2]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: 5 Things, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Love? Sorry, M/M, Original Character(s), i only know hate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-05-28 17:08:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19398628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zuixen/pseuds/Zuixen
Summary: Andrew lists 5 words that describe local dumbass Neil Josten.





	5 Words That Describe Neil Josten

**Author's Note:**

> I tried Andrew's pov but I don't know if I did very well *shrug*
> 
> You do not need to read "Do Not Disturb" to understand this, but it does help you understand who the side characters are

  1. Junkie



Neil Josten loves Exy. Andrew does not say this lightly, as he's not the best judge of love. But there is no denying it. 

Neil plays every game like it'll be his last, pushing himself as hard as he can go. It's, quite frankly, ridiculous. 

It's not just Andrew that thinks this, not that he needs anyone to reassure his thoughts, but it does add a layer of truth to it. 

"Are you doing midnight practice today?" Rynelle asks, draping herself across the counter. She leaves a generous amount of space between her body and Andrew's. 

Neil nods, not looking up from where he's making tea. 

Andrew isn't sure why Neil likes tea. It's just… leafy water. But Renee seems to have gotten Neil hooked on it. 

"Good, I want to practice my aim. I can't always rely on someone else to score for me." 

"Just don't say do what I did and practice until you can barely move." 

Rynelle laughs, "I'm not addicted to Exy, you weirdo. I have other things to do." 

"I would ask if Sequoi is one of those things, but I'm pretty sure it's the other way around."

Rynelle wheezes. Andrew nearly smiles. It's interesting to watch Neil joke, since it doesn't happen often. And if Andrew's chest gets a little fluttery when Neil smiles, well, no one else will know. 

Andrew wonders what exactly is so captivating about this Exy junkie. 

  1. Idiot



Neil is not known for being the brightest bulb in the bunch. 

Academically, Neil is rather smart. 

"Have you seen my notes?" 

Andrew looks up, "Which ones."

"My math notes."

"Kevin set them on top of the cabinets."

Neil sighs, going to retrieve them. Kevin had been annoyed by the notebook, claiming it was in his way, and had pointedly put it up where Neil would have difficulty reaching it. 

Andrew hadn't bothered getting it himself. It isn't his problem. If Neil really needs them, he should've memorized them. 

Bee's chiding voice whispers in the back of his mind that not everyone has an eidetic memory. He brushes it aside. 

He won't admit it, but Andrew does in fact keep an eye on Neil's grades. It's mostly just a way to ensure the idiot isn't putting too much effort into Exy. But also a way to keep track of how Neil feels. His grades tend to drop when he's sad. 

Not that Andrew cares. It's just… useful information. 

Because when Neil is sad, he usually tends to lay closer to Andrew, so it's nice to be prepared for physical contact. 

"Shit!" Something clatters across the floor, then something that is most definitely a human body hits the floor. 

Andrew reluctantly goes to check. If Neil dies, the others will probably blame him, and he'd rather not deal with that. (Also he may be just a bit concerned for Neil.)

Neil is picking himself up off the floor when Andrew looks into the kitchen. 

Neil glances up, his icy eyes widening minutely, "I, uh, fell."

"Is that so? I thought my other useless roommate was fucking around in the kitchen." 

Neil pushes a few stray tufts of auburn hair from his face, "I'm not useless."

Andrew leans against the wall, raising an eyebrow quizzically. He's found that Neil likes when he does that, purely because Neil can't raise an eyebrow. 

"I'm not. If I was," he pauses, blinking as he searches for a reason. "If I was, I wouldn't of survived this long."

"It's a miracle you have survived this long."

"You aren't the first to say that."

"Do you think that makes it better?"

Neil picks up the bowl that had clattered across the floor earlier, "No. But at least I'm alive now, right?"

"You think I care?"

"I do." Neil smiles, which is impossibly infuriating.

"Well you're wrong, as usual."

"Ouch, I might need a bandage for that." 

Andrew turns away. 

Neil may be academically smart, but he's the most illogical person ever. Getting chased by the mafia? Guess I'll join a famous Exy team. Avoiding danger? Insult a celebrity on TV. Trying to reach the top shelf? Climb the counter like a baboon on crack instead of grabbing a chair like a normal person. 

What an idiot.

  1. Reckless



"That was great! That chick was so shocked," Rynelle grins, patting Blue's shoulder lightly. 

"It was nothing."

"Don't say that, you did great."

Blue ducks his head, "We all did great."

"It wasn't a team effort. No one else was moving your body." 

Blue shrugs, going to head to the changing room. 

One of the opposing team members, Anmon, cuts in front of him. 

"Look, I get that you guys are some sort of cult or whatever, but you need to learn to stay in your league. I don't pour my life onto the court just to get beaten by some shemale."

Blue flinches, shrinking in on himself, "Sorry. It's just a game."

Anmon scoffs, "Just a game? This —"

Neil saunters between her and Blue, "Hi, you're a striker right? I just wanted to say that you throw weak and could really use some extra practice. Also, you hold your racquet wrong, so please leave my team alone."

Anmon turns red, "Excuse me? Who do you think you are? Winning a few games doesn't make you one of the cool kids, Josten."

"If I wasn't one of the 'cool kids' then why do you know my name?"

"It's on your jersey!"

"Hm, but is that really why you know my name?" 

"Do you  _ want  _ me to knock your teeth out?"

"I'd like to see you try." 

"Neil—" Blue starts.

Anmon takes a swing, and Neil doesn't bother concealing his gasp when her fist connects with his gut. 

Andrew steps forward, deciding this has gone far enough, but the opposing coach intervenes before he can get there. 

Anmon is led away, seething and spitting foul words. 

"You didn't have to do that," Blue says.

"Oh, but he did. His minuscule brain doesn't understand that most things aren't his business," Andrew says, his face clear of any concern. He  _ isn't  _ concerned. This is Neil's own issue. Besides, just because Andrew wants to protect Neil doesn't mean he's going to coddle every single thing he does. The bastard has to do some things by himself. 

Nicky snorts from a few feet away, "Sometimes even I have difficulty believing you two are a thing." 

"Good, because there's nothing to believe." 

Neil smiles, "I believe."

And that is just so unbelievably sappy and gross that Andrew leaves the reckless striker to walk back to the lockers alone. He's not sure who's laughing, it might be Neil.

  1. Problem 



When Andrew first saw Neil, he'd felt nothing other than his usual drug induced mania. 

Then the lies started, and Andrew gradually developed an opinion. His opinion was this: You are a problem. 

Which eventually became a two-sided opinion. Neil was a problem because he was a mystery, made up of the smoke and bones of his lies and partial truths. But he was also a problem because Andrew had become enamored by the boy. 

No, not enamored. That is too strong a word. Perhaps interested? Yes, that sounds right. 

Andrew took scraps of truth until he could build an image of who exactly Neil Josten was. Then Neil was gone. Andrew hadn't realized just how awful his feelings had grown until the subject of his interest was gone. 

And then, Andrew had once again thought that Neil was a problem. 

When Neil was back, Andrew had been infuriated by the relief he felt. He'd spent a long time avoiding such attachments. He had already made enough compromises by letting Nicky, Aaron, and Kevin into his life. 

But it was just so easy. Yeses and nos. Simple and concise, with no hidden meaning or cruel intent. And Andrew hadn't realized that it would so quickly evolve into  _ something _ . He doesn't want something. He wants nothing. 

_ You say you want nothing. And I am nothing.  _

Andrew really does hate Neil. The junkie is a problem, reckless and stupid and useless. 

But now he's a different type of problem. Neil is a problem because he makes Andrew feel. Andrew hates it. Hates the flutters and twinges and wants. 

He doesn't want to feel this way. He doesn't want to feel at all. It makes the cycle of life much more unbearable. He just wants to crawl his way through every day, doing what is necessary to live and stay relatively safe. He wants life to be easy, even if it is insufferably dull. 

Then Neil ran into that racquet and crashed his way into Andrew's life. 

"Thank you," Neil says.

Andrew looks over, "For what?"

**Author's Note:**

> My 2nd AftG fic! Whoo, this took a while to write because I started a few weeks ago then started writing my summer homework essay then started writing my wip book and completely forgot I started this! But I love my boys so I had to finish it 
> 
> Also,, I do NOT edit my writing, so there's probably a lot of errors. If you see any feel free to point them out and I'll fix them
> 
> Plz comment I crave constant validation :'(


End file.
